Press conferenceJürgen Klopp on Leicester win, Elliott and Robertson injuries and more
Jürgen Klopp reflected on the importance of Liverpool's 2-1 victory over Leicester City and provided updates on injuries to Harvey Elliott and Andy Robertson at his post-match press conference.
Highlights: Liverpool 2-1 Leicester
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The Reds claimed a fourth successive Premier League win on their return to Anfield on Friday night, with Wout Faes’ two own goals seeing the hosts come back from a fourth-minute strike by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
Read on for Klopp’s analysis of the game and his side’s display, plus news on the fitness issues that forced Elliott and Robertson off during the second half…
On his assessment of Liverpool’s performance…
The result is very pleasing obviously but we all saw the game and it was not our best performance, we know that. The start in the game – conceding from a goalkick, I can’t remember a lot of goals we conceded from a goalkick, to be 100 per cent honest. We were just not there in that moment, we came three times too late and in the end Dewsbury-Hall is alone in front of Ali and Ali can this time not save us. So, 1-0 down against a counter-attacking side with a clear idea, yeah, absolutely the opposite of what you want to have.
On top of that, we played further on pretty much in Leicester’s hands. We lost the balls in the wrong moment, when we were too open, so for a long time we never got a foot in this game. Then we had our football moments and we forced then mistakes; scored a disallowed goal and then the two own goals happened. I think especially the second goal is brilliantly done – unlucky that it hits the post and even more unlucky for Leicester obviously that it is an own goal.
2-1 half-time, we knew we have to improve and we did. Line was higher, more aggressive in the challenges, more connected. But still, they had their moments, they played a really good game, credit to Leicester. There’s no coincidence they obviously have quite a decent away record and you can see why. But we had massive chances in the second half where we could have finished the game off – didn’t use them and so that’s pretty much the story of the game. When it’s only 2-1 against a good opponent then you have to fight through. That’s what we did and I’m pleased with that, but of course we have to play better.
On Trent Alexander-Arnold’s defensive display…
Really good, and not the first time. It was good, to be honest. It was really good, very helpful and very important in these moments. Very, very helpful. I think everybody knows how good Harvey Barnes is in these moments and Trent did exceptionally well. We had a few good performances, really good performances but the majority were not on top of their game, let me say it like this, and that’s why this can happen.
I’m getting closer to I think 1,000 games in the job and I saw these games unfortunately pretty often, so that can happen and then it’s very special when you can win them because these are the games that decide about getting where you want to be or not. That’s why it’s so important we could bring it over the line tonight. That’s what we did.
Now we have just two days and we don’t know exactly who can go again and stuff like this. But Brentford have the same situation. They are in a really good moment, I think. I saw big parts of the Tottenham game, a lot of things were really good. Didn’t see obviously yet anything from the West Ham game but will watch it as well. I have no information about that yet. And we had our problems then with the way they play, so we have to make sure we are ready for that. That’s all I’m concerned about in the moment.
On the knocks sustained by Elliott and Robertson during the game...
Funnily enough, Harvey, before the game, injured Robbo a little bit. In our warm-up game, he hit him with a knee at the hip, so it was a dead leg. He could play but then at one point the muscle closed and he couldn’t play on. Harvey got a knock, which was quite painful, but when you see the situation because it is clear that’s painful, but that’s it, I think.
On whether he has sympathy for Faes after his two own goals...
Yeah, yeah, I had that once in my career – that a player scored two own goals. I really feel for him. Honestly, because it was absolutely unlucky. The first, how can it be more unlucky? And the second one, if you have ever played football, you go full speed in that situation, direction of the goal, you would expect the ball goes in. That’s what your brain tells you and in the moment when you realise it is not going in, it is going to the post, you can’t react anymore. These things happen. Yes, of course I feel sympathy – there is absolutely space for that, but whatever I say now will not change it. The boy will get through this, obviously, and Brendan [Rodgers] will help with that and everything will be fine.
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